Fall River to leave 10 firefighter positions vacant in effort to save money

Ten firefighter positions left vacant as a result of retirements during the past year will not be filled after the city received federal approval to waive requirements under its $14.4 million SAFER grant, according to Fall River Fire Chief William Silvia.

Ten firefighter positions left vacant as a result of retirements during the past year will not be filled after the city received federal approval to waive requirements under its $14.4 million SAFER grant, according to Fall River Fire Chief William Silvia.

The approval leaves the department complement at 222 firefighters, rather than 232, as city officials attempt to reconcile how to fund and function without the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant when the funds run out.

The grant funds salaries and benefits for 79 firefighters for two years.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, operating under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which awarded the city’s second major SAFER grant in June, issued the waiver a few weeks ago.

It allows the city “not to replace those 10 city-funded positions,” Silvia said. It means the city operating budget is for 143 firefighters, not 153.

Each firefighter not hired saves about $90,000 in salary and benefits, Silvia said.

He said operational adjustments have been made throughout the year and they’d continue to do so.

The incremental reduction is an effort not to repeat the massive layoff in 2009 after the state drastically reduced its local aid, Silvia said.

“Whether we have to reduce more, we’ll have to look at that,” he said. “We’ve discussed different scenarios ranging from where we are at now to around 200.”

He indicated discussions have included reducing equipment or closing a station.

“It was the prudent thing to do right now,” Silvia said.

Silvia and City Admini-strator Shawn Cadime have headed an eight-person committee Mayor Will Flanagan formed in August that’s met monthly to analyze fire department conditions and assess long-term needs balanced by projected revenues.

The committee includes the vice president of firefighters’ Local 1314, city businessmen — including a bank executive — an accountant and the city’s grant writer.

“We need to assure in two years we’re not in the same place we are now — relying on a bailout by the federal government,” Flanagan said after the grant was awarded.

The City Council issued a resolution asking Flanagan to take action and move the city toward self-sufficiency.

“Absolutely,” businessman and committee member Robert Karam said when asked if he supported the reduction to 222 firefighters.

Karam said it was a financial balancing act.

“The committee is saying, ‘How much is the city looking to weaken its firefighting capabilities given that the numbers (money) may not be there.’ And what is the public going to say?” Karam said. “I think the committee’s been very serious about their work.”

Cadime was on vacation and not available for comment.

“That was the committee recommendation we apply for a waiver,” Silvia said.

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Looking ahead, he said it “was impossible to say if we’ll hire (firefighters) this year. It’s probably unlikely.”

Silvia acknowledged the department was poised to hire its first woman firefighter from the civil service list they received. That has been postponed, he said.

Of those recruits qualified for hiring, Silvia said, “We did inform them we would not be hiring this time.”

Silvia said there are many “contingencies” to determine future staffing.

As for tapping federal funds, he said, “We do intend to apply for another SAFER grant in 2014, but not near the magnitude of what we have now.”